The Ospreys moved smoothly out of the blocks on their Challenge Cup debut, scoring seven tries en route to defeating Dean Richards’s Newcastle 45-0 at the Liberty.

It was another night at the Liberty Stadium when the entertainment value was almost through the roof, for home fans at least!

Steve Tandy's side could scarcely have hoped for a better start to the tournament, but what were the wider issues to emerge?

1. Just when you thought you had seen it all from Tipuric…

During the build-up to the Ospreys’ clash with Newcastle, Ma’afu Fia had raised a few eyebrows by suggesting Justin Tipuric was good enough to play for the All Blacks.

Well, any New Zealand player would have been happy to score the try the Ospreys’ No. 7 came up with in the second half in Swansea.

Collecting the ball from a kick-off, the Trebanos man surged away on a lung-bursting charge upfield, eventually chipping over the defence and having the speed to outpace the cover to the bouncing ball, in the manner of a middle-distance runner producing a sprint finish fuelled by grit, determination and top-class conditioning.

For that moment alone, he deserved his man-of-the-match bauble, but there was also so much more good in his game.

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The incredible Tipuric try that proves how good he is

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2. Teen tornado has the wow factor, but that’s not all

Keelan Giles has scored three tries in just two outings for the Ospreys and caused anxiety in Newcastle’s defence pretty much every time he received the ball. For his first touchdown on Friday evening, there was a touch of class as he skilfully lifted the ball over the rearguard and regathered for the score.

But there other signs that might have encouraged his head coach Steve Tandy.

Newcastle looked to pressure the 18-year-old in the early stages, but once he settled he showed a willingness to have a go in defence and he helped set up Ashley Beck’s score by taking contact and offloading.

Of course he has much developing to do. But this is a lad who bristles with promise.

Keelan Giles of Ospreys celebrates scoring a try with Rhys Webb

3. Falcons were poor

If the Challenge Cup is to earn respect, it can ill afford the spectacle of a side making 13 changes from the previous weekend.

Yet that is what Newcastle did for their trip to south-west Wales.

They actually competed well for the first 20 minutes, but like a second-class team in the old Welsh cup, they were sending out distress signals the longer the match wore on.

It is hard to recall too many examples of a team weakening themselves heading into the Champions Cup, but Newcastle managed to do exactly that on the first weekend of the second-tier event. The Ospreys were good, but the visitors didn’t help themselves.

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4. Strength in depth counts for so much

The Ospreys felt able to give Dmitri Arhip, Nicky Smith, Bradley Davies and Olly Cracknell the weekend off but were still able to field a powerful starting line-up that included 11 internationals.

There were also three more on the bench in James King, Josh Matavesi and Rhodri Jones, with the gifted Sam Davies also among the replacements.

Depth like that ensures a performance level is maintained from gun to tape. Newcastle tried hard, but the game was a hopeless mismatch.

Dan Biggar slides over for the first try against Newcastle (Photo: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

5. It’s OK to do things by halves

The Ospreys’ international half-backs helped make a significant difference when the match was a contest in the opening half.

Dan Biggar scored the first try after clever work from the excellent Rhys Webb, then the scrum-half himself conjured a quality solo score that underlined the gulf in class between the sides.

Biggar’s touchdown saw him pass 500 points in European competition, and he pulled the strings nicely throughout the opening period. A bump that required treatment after the break jolted him a bit, but, overall, he can be pleased with his effort.